


High Hopes

by allhailgrilledcheesus



Category: Borderlands, Tales from the Borderlands - Fandom
Genre: Alcohol, Crossroads Demon!Jack, Fluff and Angst, I got a prompt and i needed to write it, M/M, Supernatural AU - Freeform, Swearing, The angst is first
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-29
Updated: 2016-04-23
Packaged: 2018-05-24 01:23:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6136507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allhailgrilledcheesus/pseuds/allhailgrilledcheesus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rhys was desperate. So desperate that he was willing try try magic to get what he wants. But now, he's got more than he bargained for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I know it's crazy to believe in silly things

**Author's Note:**

> Title based of off the song by Koldaline - High Hopes (very Rhack if you ask me) 
> 
> Based off of this prompt given to me by an anon on tumblr: trying to summon a demon and having your ex show up instead.
> 
> THIS IS UNBETAED! IF YOU WANNA BETA FOR ME, LEMME KNOW PLEASE!

Finding a crossroads in his local area that could actually be dug up in the centre was the hardest part of Rhys’ plan. Sure, there were a lot of intersections, but sadly tarmac requires more than just a shovel you can buy at a hardware store and cameras would mean that he would more than likely be caught on CCTV desecrating public property. He had already done some questionable things to get to where he is now, so the extra risk was definitely not worth it. 

The idea first came to him when he was browsing the internet. Rhys was just a bored guy between getting home from work and going to sleep when he stumbled upon a part of Reddit that he normally wouldn’t go to. It was part of the _Supernatural_ side that he never liked to be associated with, feeling as if the people on there were far more inferior to him for believing some book series was actually real or some shit like that. However, the more he read, the later into the night he got, the more he started to believe the stories. People claiming that they had met demons by summoning them through several means. Rhys was so confused but strangely attracted to these ideas, knowing somewhere deep in his gut that this may be the truth. Rhys was enthralled, reading account after account until the wee hours of the morning. That was when he made the decision to do it. He was desperate. And, as the old cliché goes, desperate times calls for desperate measures. 

Collecting the items had been… _strange_ to say the least. After work, he would often go around trying to find a container small enough to put the things for the spell in. People had used small plastic boxes or old classic tobacco tins. Rhys felt like the latter suited the aesthetic of what he was doing better. It seemed mildly stupid thinking about it like that, considering he was going to just bury the damn thing anyway. But, if he was going to do this, he was going to do it right. Finally, after a few days of searching antique stores, he found the perfect tin. It was green and gold, with the paint faded from years of use. Something about it just felt good. So, it was on to step two: a bone of a black cat. 

This he did something he was not proud of. He snuck into a veterinary surgery after it was shut to try and get the bone. What happened next he never wishes to recall but he had to keep reminding himself that this was for the greater good. Needless to say, he got what he went there for a vowed to never go back again. 

Another felony to add to the list was the acquisition of graveyard dirt. Rhys could have always have gone to a familial grave, but somehow it felt weird to him to use family in this. So he settled on a poor stranger’s grave and took some dirt away from it. He was thankful for the cover of night and the general rule that graveyards did not have cameras. 

Thankfully the last two things were easy to get. Yarrow was used to make tea so any health shop had it. The picture, that was easy to get but hard to choose. Thankfully, Rhys was an avid photographer of himself. Why would he not want the rest of the world to see him? He was pretty damn hot, to be honest, and he wanted to flaunt it. Searching through his phone for the perfect image was time consuming but he found the perfect shot. A sunset shot of him hugging someone dear to him. It was a selfie, as most of the pictures were. Having such long arms helped a lot, he mused to himself. He couldn’t help but let the smile on his face spread as he remembered the day when that photo was taken. It was a fond memory, but he sent it to the printer so that he could put it in the box. 

Now, having prepared everything, Rhys had to locate a crossroads. Somewhere near where he lived but something that could actually dig up. After some searching, he had found it. About an hour away from his local area in a walking park. The instructions were vague so Rhys didn’t think that he had to use an actual road as a crossroad, but a place where any paths crossed would be good enough. 

He left his house just after sunset, thankful for the summer nights taking longer to arrive. It meant that he could take some time to realise what he was doing and why he was doing it. He _had_ to do it. There was no other solution to his problem. Rhys got into his car and drove out of his driveway and into the setting sun. The box with his ‘spell’ in it sat in the passenger’s seat beside him. He hated referring to it as a spell, still keeping that small shred of doubt that had ended up constantly eating at him since he started on this endeavour. 

When Rhys arrived, he took the shovel he had bought earlier that day out of the back of his car and shoved the tin under his arm. The last light from the day was still trying to hold on to the landscape. Ambers and reds swirled in the sky as the last of the day’s sun peaked over the horizon and the deep blue of night started taking over. Rhys thought that this park would make an awesome place to be at this time to just be with someone and watch as the sun left the sky for another day. Rhys shook the thought from his head. He had a job to do and, if this thing didn’t work, he didn’t want to be out here longer than he had to be. 

The crossroads he was looking for was still a fair bit into the park. Walking over to a map he got his bearing and set about walking to it. The air around him was starting to take on the crispness that only the relief from a humid day could bring. The walk took overall about twenty minutes and Rhys was becoming more and more appreciative of the drop in temperature. Who knew that something so essential like walking would require so much exertion? 

When he arrived at his destination, the moon was already high in the sky, giving the area of the crossroads an ethereal blue glow. Rhys thought that it was apt, to be fair, given the fact that he was technically about to do some magic. Without much further ado, Rhys set about digging a small hole in the centre of the crossroads. The hole was only small, but the dirt was mostly arid and therefore was harder than it appeared to be. 

Giving one last silent prayer to whomever was listening, Rhys buried the tobacco box. _Well, no going back now_ , Rhys thought to himself. He grabbed his phone from his pocket to check the Reddit thread again. He’d seen the page so many times he was sure that he could recite it if asked. 

“Well, who called me this-” 

Rhys froze when he heard the voice. _That voice_. It couldn’t be. He wouldn’t accept it being him. He refused to turn around, thinking that his mind was playing tricks on him. 

“Rhys? Is that really you?”

Rhys could hear footsteps behind him. Just his luck that this spell turned out to actually work. Even more his luck that the one thing he hoped would never happen would actually happen. He didn’t realise he was crying until he saw a drop of water land on his phone screen. 

A hand rested on Rhys’ shoulder. He couldn’t deny this anymore. This was actually happening. 

“Jack?” Rhys breathed, barely audible. 

The hand on his shoulder spun him around and before Rhys could see what was happening, lips met his in a call of desperation. Everything that had been pent up from separation was released in those few short seconds. Rhys was hesitant at first, still unsure of the realness of the situation, but once he felt those familiar lips slide over his, he melted. All the worries of the past six months getting that dumb spell ready were poured into this one moment. Warm, rough hands held Rhys’ face, tears now flowing freely down his face. They both pulled away at the same time, foreheads touching in a silent embrace. 

“Hey,” Jack whispered, as if he were afraid that the moment would break if he spoke any louder. 

“Hey, yourself,” Rhys sniffed. 

“Why are we meeting like this?” Jack stroked his thumb over Rhys’ cheek. The younger man reached up to pull the hand away. 

“Because I needed to see you. Because you just _left_. Because you were too proud to tell me what was happening.” Rhys could feel the anger that he has thought left him rise up once more. He stepped away, breaking the intimate moment as his thoughts suddenly became clear. 

“You left me with no warning. I went to bed with you one night and the next you were fucking _gone_. I waited a couple of days, telling myself that you were gonna come back. But you _didn’t_! You just DIDN’T! I got the police involved, y’know. The fucking _police_. I was that worried because you weren’t there. It’s been three years, Jack. Three fucking years and all you can give me is _‘Why are we meeting like this?’_ ! That’s something I should be asking you!” Rhys felt his face flush, the pain all rushing out of him in one stream of consciousness. He took a deep breath and tried to stop his hands from shaking. 

Jack stood there dumbfounded. This was not how he had imagined this meeting to go. He was just going to go to the crossroads, like one does, make the deal, get the soul, and get out of there. Now, Rhys was here, pure and innocent Rhys, tears staining his face and a sleeve full of snot, practically shaking whilst looking like a wounded animal. 

“Well, go on! Explain to me! Why _are_ we meeting like this?”   
Jack ran his hand over his face. He honestly had thought that this day would never come. 

“Well… Ugh! How do I say this? Words are so _hard_ Rhysie. So the beginning, that’s where these things are meant to start… Right,” Jack clapped his hands together, rubbing them. It was an old presentation habit that he couldn’t shake, “might as well get started, huh?”


	2. I remember it now, it takes me back to when it all first started

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack starts to tell Rhys why they're meeting like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for this taking so long! I was in a show but that's all finished now so back to the rhack am i right?
> 
> This chapter is not as long as the last one but i'm setting the scene ok jeez

Jack hated. It seemed as if it was a perpetual state for him. Everything just seemed to get on his nerves. Whether it was Tassiter giving him shit from above, or his underlings giving him shitty code that he was expected to present to Tassiter, Jack _hated_. Being middle management sucked major balls, even it was essential for your rise to power. 

Jack had this plan, you see. A plan to rise to the top of Hyperion, the world’s biggest company (he still wasn’t quite sure of what they sold apart from everything), and make him, by proxy, the most powerful man in the world. There was nothing that he wouldn’t do to get higher up in this company. He has started from a lowly intern, fresh faced from college and with so many dreams and aspirations for what his time there was going to be like. Now he seemed to have plateaued in the coding department, still full of the same dreams and aspirations but now with a significantly less fresh face. He wanted to become the youngest CEO this company had ever seen, and terrifyingly that only gave him about a year to get shit done. 

Thankfully, that night was a Friday, and that meant that he could drink himself into oblivion without feeling that he was an alcoholic. His favourite haunt was only a little way around the block from the office, therefore meaning that he could stay there drinking from around six-ish to when the bar closed. Most of his subordinates knew that this was his spot, and knew not to come there. If they did, they stayed down the opposite end of the bar, ordered in hushed tones, and kept themselves quiet in a booth that was the furthest away from where Jack sat. 

Tonight was no different to any other Friday night, he was just a little more stressed than usual, perhaps even looking to relieve some _tension_. He clocked off dead on six. As much as he loved this company, he did _not_ love Tassiter, and would therefore not be giving him any more of his time than what was contractually obligated of him, especially on a Friday. The walk to the bar was short, the crisp winter air biting against Jack despite the layers he wore. 

When he got in, his favourite bartender was thankfully behind the bar. He shook bodily, trying to shake the cold from his bones and took his favourite spot at the end of the bar, nearest the entrance. One would normally assume this to be the coldest place at this time of year, with the door opening and closing as people came and went, however, this seat was blessed with a heating vent directly below it. This, therefore, made it the perfect spot as the heat from the vent cancelled out the chill from outside, leaving Jack with his many layer the perfect temperature. 

A glass of straight whiskey was placed in front of him. He smiled appreciatively up at the girl behind the bar. This was routine enough now that he knew that a tab was always started up for him whether or not he asked for one. He sipped at it, relishing in the way that it burned in the smooth way that only whiskey could. _Good_ whiskey, mind you. None of that cheap shit for Jack. 

He was a few (no point in counting if you’re just getting wasted, Jack told himself) whiskies, the, space beside him suddenly became occupied. This was something that did not happen. He sat _**alone**_ , and everyone knew that. Therefore this person was either new and needed to be explained the rules, or they knew the rules and they had the balls to actually come and sit down next to him. That caused Jack to smirk into the glass he was nursing. The girl behind the bar caught this and started to make her way over to the occupier, but was stopped dead when they spoke.

“Jack...”

This was... new to say the least. Only a few people actually knew his first name. It wasn’t even on the door of his office, just _J. Lawrence_ in gold lettering. This caused Jack to look up from his drunken stupor to meet this person in the eye, glass halfway between the bar and his lips. 

This person, a woman in fact, was stunning. She gave off an air of importance. She demanded attention from just the way she looked and she sure got it. Her hair was perfect, almost as perfect as his. Her teeth were perfectly straight, purple lips pulled into a sly smile. Her almond eyes met Jack’s with no qualms, aware of what she was doing. Every movement was calculated and cool. 

“Who the _fuck_ are you?” Jack was a combination of angry, amused, and very, very drunk.

“I’m just someone who thought you needed a company” The woman smiled, all teeth. 

“I came here to drink _alone_ cupcake. Now scoot before I make you” Jack motioned to return to his drink but slender fingers with purple nails stopped the glass from reaching his lips. 

“Well, _Jack_ , I think you misheard me. I said **a** company, not **some** company,” her fingers lingered longer than they had to on Jack’s hand. 

“A company? You’re not making any sense. How much have you had to drink?” Jack huffed.   
“What if I told you I could give you Hyperion?”

Jack laughed aloud at that, “Hyperion? Nah. You’re too drunk. I’m gonna get Moxxi to cut you off.”

He raised his hand to motion to Moxxi but stopped dead before he could do anything. The woman’s eyes turned black as she blinked and returned back to normal the second after. For the first time in a long time, Jack found himself at a loss for words. 

“You should probably out your hand down. Don’t want to draw attention to ourselves, do we now?”

“What the fuck?” Jack slowly lowered his hand, mouth agape.

“When I say I can give you Hyperion, I meant it. You more interested in listening now?” 

“What the _fuck_?”

“I think we’ve established that already, sweet cheeks. Now, wanna make a deal?”

“A deal? I don’t even know who, _what_ , I’m talking to.” Jack was close to becoming hysterical. This was a lot of information to be taking in at once and his brain couldn’t catch up to what his eyes had seen. 

The woman lifted her hand, extending it in an invitation to shake, “Nisha, demon.” She had said it as if it was common knowledge, like if you introduced yourself and said that you worked in an office. 

Jack took the hand apprehensively, “Nice to meet you, Nisha.”

“Now back to that deal, hey?” 

“Yeah, deal. What do you mean by _deal_?” 

“Well, you wanna be CEO of Hyperion, right? I can make that happen for you. In effect immediately. You climb to the top and you’ll be the youngest CEO the company has ever seen.”

Jack couldn’t help but look surprised. This woman, Nisha, was promising him everything that he had ever wanted on a silver platter. He would go down in history and be the most powerful man on the planet. This was too good to be true.

“What’s the catch?”

“Only something small. Your soul.” 

“My _soul_? You can’t just ask a guy for that!” 

“I’ll collect in ten years, standard contract and all that. So you have a long time to enjoy your life.” Nisha started inspecting her fingernails. This was obviously boring her but Jack was enthralled. 

“I’ll... I’ll do it.” Jack was too drunk and power hungry to say no to this. 

Nisha smiled, purple lips pulling into a smirk as a _scroll_ of all things materialised in her hands. 

“All you need to do is sign this and then we can get to the final sealing.”

Jack huffed slightly at the word ‘CONTRACT’ emblazoned across the top but took the pen the woman was offering and signed his name along the dotted line. He felt as soon as the pen left the paper that he should have read the whole thing, but that didn’t matter because he was finally going to get what he deserved. 

Nisha stood, grabbing the contract from Jack’s hand and making it disappear. Jack stood also, fishing far too much money from his wallet for what he had paid for. He was far too enthralled by the hand on his arm leading him out of the bar to care how much of a tip he was leaving. What had he just agreed to? This was ridiculous! The whole thing was too good to be true. How was this woman going to make him the CEO of Hyperion? 

His thoughts were brought to an abrupt stop as Nisha dragged into an alley that was near to the bar. The streetlights tried their hardest to cast their light towards where the pair were standing but it was a futile endeavour. 

Nisha abruptly stopped and pushed Jack against the external wall of the bar that they were just in, pinning him against it. 

“Just need one last thing from you darlin’,” and with that, she kissed him. 

It wasn’t passionate at all, more like a handshake than a kiss. Jack was too in shock to realise what was happening before it was too late. Nisha pulled away, flashed her eyes black again, and disappeared without a trace. 

Jack just stood there, back against the wall with mouth agape, wondering what had just happened. He couldn’t quite believe that he was just in the presence of a _demon_ of all things.

However, before he could set off home, Jack passed out nestled amongst the trash bags.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is turning out longer than expected bc i need fluff in my life and that is what is happening next chapter don't you worry. Also, the reason why this took so long bar uni was bc i had a big old mental battle as to whether or not to do this 1st person but i decided against it bc i realised that i probably wouldnt read it if it was in 1st person so why should i write it that way? (apologies to those who like/write 1st person, it's just not my cup of tea)
> 
> hmu on tumblr: iwritesjinsnottradgedies


	3. But the world keeps spinning around

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack finds out that life can take very drastic turns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look, i promise rhys in the next chapter i swear

Jack awoke with light pouring on his face. He threw his arm over his face and wished that somehow the sun would go out and leave him to sleep. 

His eyes snapped awake and he shot up. This wasn’t an alley, this was a bed. Not his bed either. His bed was a double that barely fit into the one bed apartment that was in midtown. This bed, on the other hand, was a super king by his early-morning estimations. The sheets were _so_ soft. They were possibly even Egyptian cotton. Who the _fuck_ did he go home with last night? Was it that woman? Nelly... Nina... Nisha? Yeah, that was her name. There was no signs of anyone else around, though. The bed beside him was cold, meaning that she had either left really early or he was awake very late.   
He decided that he needed to explore. It was the only way to get the bottom of wherever he was. He decided that he should open the curtains, take in his surroundings and hopefully place himself somewhere in the city. He rubbed some sleep from his eyes and opened the floor-length curtains to reveal the windows. From here, Jack could see he was much higher up than he thought he was. Was he in a penthouse? How much money did this woman have? The view was spectacular. He was looking over the river that ran through the city, old and new buildings flanking the banks. It was a breathtaking view. 

Right, so he was ages away from home. Great. All he needed to do was find his wallet and grab a cab to get home. This was one hell of a Saturday. 

He stumbled out of the room in search of some water to calm his hangover. He drank way more than what he planned on last night as was evidenced by his lack of memory of how he ended up here. Finally, he stumbled into a kitchen where he found a glass of water with a note pinned under it. The was a message written in a cursive script and read. 

_Hey Jack,_  
Hope you like the new digs. I’ll see you at work on Monday.   
N x 

New digs? This day just kept getting weirder and weirder. He drank the water whilst re-reading the message. His eyes glanced over the counter and notice some post lying on the counter. He decided that there was no harm in looking at the address, seeing as he would have to try and make his way to a main road to actually grab a taxi or even order one if he was getting desperate. 

Jack nearly dropped the glass in his hand. 

The letters were addressed to _him_. They had his name on it and looked official. Jack was even more confused now. He needed to find his phone as soon as possible. If this was his place, then it should be somewhere in the front room. He placed the glass on the counter in fear of actually dropping it if the day continued on it’s current trend. 

He found something that was for sure a phone, but wasn’t the crappy last year model that he was using as of yesterday. It was now Hyperion’s best model, the one that was only released last month. The yellow ‘H’ on the back lit up as he pressed his finger to the screen. Thankfully, the code that he used for his old phone was the same for this one. He opened up his social media, hoping to find some answers as to what had happened and found himself inundated with notifications. This day just needed to start again. He was so confused. His twitter handle was now _@HandsomeJackCEO_ instead of his usual _@jlaw1985_. Every notification was either marriage proposals from random people who were young enough to be his children or mentions from new agencies tagging him in articles about himself. He clicked on one of the latter, reading about the youngest CEO in Hyperion history and how stock were at there best. One article even dubbed him the ‘world’s most eligible bachelor’. 

Jack sat down on the sofa and ran his hand over his face. This was apparently his life now. He had to wait until Monday in order to get any answers from anyone. He debated going out for a walk but then decided against it. If he was _famous_ now, simple things like walking on a Saturday to the local high street was a thing of the past. For now, he decided to actually get dressed and just wait for the weekend to pass. 

What had his life become?

*  
Jack was dressed in what was apparently his usual attire now: a button up white shirt with a gaudy yellow jumper, jeans, and white trainers. The last two days consisted of Jack reading his own Wikipedia article and random fansites of himself in order to get a picture of who he was now. It was very strange reading about how he had described his own rise to power in interviews, often citing how ‘it was all hard work and a little bit of magic’. The last year was totally gone and it felt _strange_. 

He walked out of his apartment, keys jangling in his hand, and entered the elevator to go down to the parking garage. He was suddenly hit with the realisation that he didn’t actually know which car was his. Thankfully, his key had a ‘find car’ button in it, making life that little bit easier by the time he got to the garage proper. 

He clicked said button as he walked out of the garage and nothing happened. None of the cars responded. He tried several more times and heard a faint beeping from the other side of the garage. Jack followed the sound and found himself at a garage door within the garage. As he approached, the door started to open which startled Jack but he reasoned that it was just a proximity sensor to one of many mysterious fobs on his keychain now. 

As the garage door opened, Jack was stunned. A black Lamborghini Gallardo sat in the centre of a crisp white room. The paint was so shiny that Jack could see his reflection in it. This was ridiculous, an utter fantasy world. None of this could be real, could it? Jack rubbed his hands together and tried to pull the smile of his face, but to no avail. Opening the door and sitting in the seat, Jack melted into the leather. Turning the key in the ignition made Jack moan almost pornographic. The exhaust emitted the most amazing noise and that smile was now a permanent fixture on his face. 

Pulling out of the garage, Jack made his way to Hyperion head office. He relished in the fact that people were taking photos of the car or staring at him as he rumbled past. This may not take as much getting used to as he thought it would. 

Arriving at the office, he was greeted by thousands of flashes as cameras were pressed up against the glass of his car. This is when the glasses he found tossed on the seat next to him were going to come in useful. He placed them on his nose, checked his hair, went to open the door only to find it opened for him by a man in a Hyperion security uniform. He was forcefully dragged out and pushed through the crowd by said man. 

Jack heard the man huff a muffled “For fuck’s sake,” as he was dragged into the building, through the lobby and was thrown into the elevator. Jack turned around in time to see the car being driven off, hopefully by a valet and not being stolen by a random paparazzi. 

When the elevator doors closed, Jack could finally see who had dragged him to where he was now. From the weekend of research, Jack placed the man as Axton, Hyperion’s head of security and Jack’s personal bodyguard. The new-ish CEO was grateful for his weekend of research. 

“I knew something was up when you wouldn’t answer your phone this morning. Jack I swear to God that you need to stop with these fucking stunts!” 

Jack just huffed. He was the CEO of this company now (and had been for about a year according to his Wikipedia page) and he could do whatever he damn well pleased. 

Axton just sighed, obviously used to talking to a brick wall. Jack ran his hands through his hair to try and seem like he didn’t find the very silent elevator ride up to his office extremely awkward. Acting tough was one thing, actually _feeling_ tough was another barrel of fish entirely. 

After what seemed like an eternity, the elevator pinged and the two men exited, Axton falling into step behind jack as if it was the most natural thing. Jack smirked slightly, thinking that this was finally how things were supposed to be. He had achieved his one goal in life and he was going to enjoy it. 

He walked past the woman who was presumably his secretary and waltzed into his office. Axton fell into position outside the glass doors, ever vigilant. His chair was turned away from the door, facing the spectacular view that his office had of the city below. 

The chair turned to reveal Nisha sitting in it, hair still perfect and fingers steepled to accentuate the purple colour of her nails. She looked like she belonged there. Power suited her. 

“So, like what you see?” 

“This is…” Jack paused to think of the right way to put it, “more than I could have ever wanted in life. I could never be happier.”

“Great. Nice to know that my most recent customer is happy.” Nisha circled the desk to be on the same side as Jack, fingernails scraping along the desk. She rested on the desk and crossed her arms, one elegant finger beckoning Jack to her. 

Jack obediently crossed the room, standing in front of the demon. Nisha reached up and placed one finger under the CEO’s chin and pulled him close. 

“An actual kiss this time, y’know, because the last one was a formality. And hey, you are pretty _handsome_.” 

Jack huffed and leaned in. The kiss was everything that he could have imagined. She took total control, their lips sliding against one another in perfect synchronization. Suddenly, there was a _thwump_ and Nisha was gone. Jack stood dumbfounded before shaking himself back into reality. 

He rounded the desk in the opposite direction to the way Nisha did and sat down in his chair. He swiveled so that he faced the same view that Nisha had the privilege of looking at a few minutes ago. 

_Yeah,_ Jack thought to himself, _I could get used to this._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> seriously this au is taking up so much of my time but idc
> 
> http://7-themes.com/6890212-lamborghini-gallardo-wallpaper.html this is a ref pic to jack's car


	4. Memories, they seem to show up so quick but they leave you far too soon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Jack and Rhys met in this universe plus some actual plot (amazing right?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh boy this is gonna suck the soul from meeeee  
> this is the first time someone has ever asked when a fic is gonna get updated and i was so happy when that happened you have no idea  
> I am taking the 'uni what uni' stance at the moment

It took Jack a while to get into the swing of things but once he understood his new place in life, Hyperion went from strength to strength. The company’s stocks were constantly going up and the company absorbed so much of the competition that they almost held a monopoly on several key markets. Jack always knew that this was what he was destined to do and his performance proved so. 

Seven years was the longest period of time that a CEO had remained as such at Hyperion. Normally they would either be voted out by the board or they would have mysteriously disappeared one day never to be seen again. Jack took pride in the fact that no one had attempted to oust him yet. He liked to weave a delicious cocktail of fear of him personally and fear of what the company would be without him. So, when this _kid_ starts questioning what was obviously such a great investment for the company, Jack had some serious issues. 

“Just… Just one more time for me, OK?” Jack waved his hand before settling it beneath his chin. The kid physically gulped as the CEO’s gaze settled upon him. 

“The numbers don’t add up, sir…” His mismatched eyes were cast at the table in fear of meeting Jack’s own. 

“If you’re so confident then, show me.” Jack gestured for the young man to start explaining the reason for his audacity. 

The questioner stood up, coughed, and walked over to Jack with the notes from the meeting in his hand. He leant over and placed his own annotated notes atop of the CEO’s and stood up slightly behind him. Jack adjusted the glasses on his nose and read what was in front of him. The kid was, _shit_ , the kid was right. There was small subtle gaps in the maths that meant the entire whole manufacturing process would be worthless as the barrel for these new guns would be 3mm off industry standard, meaning no bullets would actually be able to fit into the chamber. 

“Who the _fuck_ gave these to me?” 

The representatives from Research and Development practically shrank into the chairs they were sitting in. If they hadn’t of moved, they would have possibly lasted another week or so before Jack had tracked them down. Their biggest mistake was showing fear. 

Jack cracked his knuckles and smiled. This was probably his favourite part of having this much power. The look on people’s faces when they knew that they were going to be fired was unlike anything else in the world. The rush of overwhelming sadism was so _good_. 

“Out by the end of the day. Tell your immediate subordinates that they now have your jobs. Hopefully they aren’t the dumb shits that you are.” The two people were still shocked, eyes blown wide with realisation. “Go!” 

Without much further encouragement, the pair practically flew from their seats and exited the meeting room, barely sparing enough time to grab up their electronics from the table. 

“Actually, y’know what? Everybody out! Get this shit sorted and give me actual results next week otherwise more heads will roll.” At this, everyone started collecting their things. Fear was still tangible in the air as people collected their things with shaky hands. “Except you, kid. You stay.”

The young lad who had saved the company practically millions looked shocked to say the least. A bright flush spread over his face as the CEO had singled him out. Jack wasn’t going to lie, the kid was pretty. All legs and a nice face to boot. He took an immediate shining to the young middle-manager. He looked about the same age that Jack was when he had got his first managerial position. This young man had all the makings of a great Hyperion worker. 

“I just wanted to _personally_ thank you for what you did today. It took balls to talk to me like that, cupcake.”

The guy somehow managed to go a shade darker at the phrase, his hand running through his neatly styled hair. “Really? Well… I mean… It was nothing, honestly.” 

“You saved this company at least ten million dollars, so take it from me, you did good kid.” Jack smiled at his subordinate. Not his usual _I’m Handsome Jack and I’m amazing_ smile. Just a genuine smile full of praise. “What’s your name then, huh?” 

“Rhys!” It was sputtered out as the man reached down to retrieve his half drunk coffee from the table. “My name is Rhys.” The young man made to move past him to leave the meeting room.

“Well, _Rhys_ , I have a feeling you and I are going to get better acquainted soon.” 

With that, Rhys tripped over his own feet, coffee flying from his hand to hit Jack squarely in the chest. Rhys stood up like a ramrod and looked as if he were about to cry. He had just spilt coffee on the CEO of the world’s most powerful company and that CEO was _laughing_?

“Oh shit kiddo! Your face! Hah! We are gonna get along just fine.”

* * *

“Jack I already know how this bit goes.” Rhys had started to grow a touch bored after a while. Jack was taking his sweet time as usual. 

“I know Rhys but you only know you’re version. All you know is that I left and now you know why. You need to know how. That’s what I was getting to.” 

The night was no longer young. The moon was high in the sky, giving a blue glow to everything. That’s when Rhys finally noticed a shiny bit of skin on Jack’s face. A scar ran across his face, marring the once perfect skin. It seemed to highlight the man’s heterochromia. 

Rhys crossed the gap and placed his hand on Jack’s cheek. The demon leaned into the touch as Rhys ran his thumb along the scar tissue, his countenance full of concern. 

“This is new,” Rhys whispered, as if he was scared to break the man who stood before him. 

“I was getting to that bit before you interrupted me, cupcake.” Jack thought about reaching up and placing his hand over Rhys’s but he didn’t want to ruin the moment. It was obvious that the young man was still wary of the situation. It wasn’t everyday that you saw your boyfriend after years of being absent and having him turn up as a demon. 

“ You weren’t getting to that bit, Jack. You just wanted me to relive that _very_ embarassing moment.” 

“Well, spilling coffee on the CEO of the world’s most powerful company is for sure a great way to get his attention.” Jack smiled as Rhys withdrew his hand to take on a defensive stance with his hands above his head. 

“You were my idol! You had singled me out in the first ever meeting I’d gotten into after being promoter. Of course I was scared!” 

“You managed to single yourself out just fine, pumpkin. You saved the company millions by actually standing up to me. That’s something that I really appreciated, Rhys. You weren’t just another ‘yes’ man. You stood by your morals and that was something that I truly needed.” 

Rhys sniffed, seemingly holding back tears as Jack complimented him. Jack wasn’t one for wasted words, so when he said something, he meant it. 

Jack moved over to the centre of the cross roads and knelt down. He dug with his hands until the small tobacco box appeared amongst the red dirt. The demon slowly opened the tin and bought picked up the photo from within. 

“Why this one?” 

The photo was of Rhys and him. Jack’s face was buried into Rhys’ neck and Rhys had a full-toothed smile and scrunched up eyes. The angle of the photo was very high thanks to the man’s long arms. The scenery was beautiful, a sunset way playing at the sea behind the pair, causing the most beautiful purples and reds to colour the pair. It was adorable.

“It was my favourite. I had so many photos of myself to use for this but this one just felt right…” Rhys hugged himself, rubbing his hands over his biceps. The night suddenly felt colder. “You weren’t in CEO mode. You were just _you_.”

Jack smiled and tucked the photo into the pocket of his trousers. He would never let Rhys know how much of a sap he really was. 

“You still wanna know how I got this scar?” 

Rhys nodded, intent on finding out what had happened three years ago. The morning after Jack left was still a fresh memory. Waking up to a cold bed and no note was strange, but Rhys just reasoned that Jack had already gone into work. It was only later in the evening, when Jack hadn’t responded to any text or any call, that Rhys had started to worry. 

“Well, we need to talk about the night I left…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ANGST FOR NEXT TIME HOLY BALLS I AM FEELING SOME EMOTIONNNSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS  
> but yay rhys returned  
> also, every time jack talks about himself, pls imagine rhys rolling his eyes, thank


	5. How this world keeps spinning around

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, everything is resolved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH MY GOD UNI IS THE WORST PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR TAKING THIS LONG TO UPDATE.

Work had been hard for Jack that day. Everyone had seemed to get on every nerve that he had and no one seemed to be able to make their own decisions. Fridays were often the worst, though. Many people seemed to already be in ‘weekend mode’ by the time they arrived into work, forgetting the fact that they still had a full day of pencil-pushing ahead of them. Dumb idiots. Jack often wondered how the majority of his workforce had escaped being fired but then he reminded himself that without those dumbies, he would have no money. So, in fact, they did have their uses, albeit a very minor one. 

Turning the key in the lock for his apartment was always a God-send, however today it seemed like so much more. Jack had a plan, different from his usual ones, but it was the best damn plan he had ever hatched in his life. He knew that Rhys was going to be asleep but he needed time to prepare anyway. 

It wasn’t necessarily that Jack needed to prepare the apartment, it was more that he needed to prepare himself. This wasn’t something you could do everyday, even if he had done it before. This time seemed more special somehow, like it meant that much more. 

He knew what he needed to do, so he got down to it. 

After about an hour, Jack had finished what he needed to do. The breakfast table was covered in rose petals (Hyperion yellow of course) and in the centre was a small box. That box held the answer to the rest of his life, and it made him _so_ nervous. Jack wasn't one to get nervous, he was the one to make people nervous. He made people’s knees weak and made them stutter. But when it came to Rhys… 

Jack ran his hand through his hair, happy with the work that he had done. He sighed and made to start stripping to get ready for bed when he spotted something out of the corner of his eye. Something was lurking in the shadows. 

“Rhys?” Jack looked around him for a weapon in case something went wrong. He settled on a vase, thinking that he could reach it at a short notice and would give him enough time to run and grab something more substantial. 

“Sadly, no.” The figure stepped away from the shadows and into the soft light of the kitchen. 

“Nisha?”

The demon smiled and waved her hand dismissively. “Long time no see, huh?” 

“Yeah, it’s been almost, what, a decade now?” 

“Exactly Jack,” Nisha closed the distance between them and placed a well-manicured purple nail on his chest, “ it _has_ been a decade.” 

Jack backed away until he felt his hips hit the counter. It couldn’t be. How had _ten years_ have passed since he last saw the woman? Jack’s brain worked through what everything meant. His mind went back to that fateful night and remembered... 

“You can’t. Please! YOU CAN’T!” Jack screamed, not caring if Rhys heard him or not. 

“Now now _handsome_ , you know this isn’t how it works. You signed voluntarily, now you have to come.” 

Jack’s gaze flitted to the table. Thinking of the life he was just going to start building made him want to resist in anyway possible, just thinking of _Rhys_ made him think that he needed to get away. 

He reached for the vase but found himself frozen when he heard a growl that seemingly came from nowhere.   
“What the _fuck_?” Jack sank to the floor in resignation.

“Ah yes, hellhounds. Invisible to most but,” Nisha brushed her hand against something and Jack could feel air rush across his face as this hellhound thing wagged its tail, “the joys of being a demon, eh?” 

Jack started thinking. This was all he had left. He couldn’t leave Rhys. Blessedly, the kitchen had two doors so he could make a bid for freedom. Jack scrabbled against the floor, trying gain purchase against the tiled floor in his socks but to no avail. The invisible hound swiped at his face, leaving a gash over his right eye. Blood poured from the wound as the man screamed. All hopes for Rhys being at home were dashed as there was no response from the younger man. 

“FINE! Just… fine…let me clean this up and I’ll go with you.” 

Nisha laughed, curt and short. “Oh Jack, you shouldn’t worry about that.” The woman crouched down and bought Jack’s eyes to meet hers. “You’re gonna have way more to worry about soon.” 

Nisha stood up, the hellhound pounced and Jack was pinned by the weight of the thing. The last thing Jack saw was Nisha picking her nails whilst leaning against the counter.

* * *

Rhys finally woke up and sighed. Vaughn had a last minute idea to go to a bar after work and just one drink turned into shots and a bar crawl. That man was the best thing and the worst thing that had ever happened to Rhys socially. That night he had crawled into bed too drunk to care about anything and far too late to notice anything wrong. 

The sun was being particularly obnoxious today and decided that it was going to be bright enough to pass through the curtains and still be as bright as daylight. Admittedly, it was nearing noon but it did nothing to try and be kind to Rhys who was feeling _delicate_ to say the least. Rhys rolled over and was slightly surprised to find that his boyfriend wasn’t in bed.

“Jack?” When no reply came, Rhys assumed the older man was at work as the CEO had a tendency to do on a Saturday. All the tall man could do was shrug and make his way to the kitchen in a hope to forage for something easy to make. Eggs seemed like a good plan. It was very hard to mess up eggs. 

When Rhys walked into the kitchen he stopped. The breakfast table was covered in rose petals and a small black box took pride of place at the centre of it. A small card was placed under the box with Jack’s chicken scratch on it saying just one word : _Please?_

Rhys teared up, one hand over his mouth as the other opened the box. The ring was perfect. Three stones set into a golden band. Two small clear diamonds flanked a bigger yellow diamond. They were all sparkling in the midday light. Rhys slipped it onto his left hand and held it out in front of him. It fitted him perfectly. Rhys fumbled for his phone, patting his pockets in a hopes to find it. Cursing aloud he realised that he had left on the bedside table. He ran out to find it and immediately called Jack. He needed to see the man. He needed to express his feelings and scream his response from the rooftop of Hyperion’s head office. 

Jack’s phone went straight to voicemail. This was not unusual, the CEO often forgot the charge it whilst at work but that was no matter. Rhys had the number for Jack’s personal office phone and he rings that. The phone just keeps ringing. No one answers. 

Getting slightly worried, Rhys called Jack’s personal assistant and that confirmed his worst fears. Jack was gone.

* * *

Rhys was trying not to shake. Recalling that morning even so long after the event still got to him. 

“Now do you see?” Jack tried reaching out for Rhys, somehow hoping to calm him. 

“Do _I_ see? You **_asshole_**! You should have just told me?” Rhys could feel his rage rising. He had thought that he could trust the man before him. They were going to spend their lives together and Jack never thought to tell him his biggest secret? 

“How was I supposed to tell you? _‘Oh, by the way Rhys, I sold my soul to a literal **demon**_ so that I could become CEO and that was the only reason I ever met you and that’s why I would never take it back!’” 

“Basically, yeah!” Rhys could feel tears threatening for the umpteenth time that night. Jack knew how to push his buttons. “You know that I wouldn’t have cared!” 

Jack bunched his fists. He hated seeing the young man like this. He needed to change the subject and fast. 

“I answered your question, now you answer mine. Why are we meeting like this?” 

Rhys laughed, a few rogue tears slipping from his face. He wiped them away and looked to the sky as if to find strength there. 

“You, you idiot. I was browsing Reddit and I saw this dumb spell and I was gonna ask for _you_.”

Jack stood, countenance stoic. Rhys reached into his shirt and brought out a chain. A delicate silver chain which was adorned with a silver ring. “You kept it?” 

“For three _fucking_ years I wore this. For three years I kept hoping. And this is what I get? You’re a demon for crying out loud and I still love you…” The tears were flowing freely down his face now. 

“What was your answer?” Jack could feel a blush spread across his cheeks. 

“Yes! Of course it was yes!” Rhys didn’t know what to do. He was so confused. The last three years were suddenly making sense but in the weirdest way possible. “I want to spend forever with you Jack.” 

“You can.” Jack smiled. Rhys recognised it as his ‘I have a plan’ expression and that usually mean that Rhys should start getting worried. 

“Join me.” 

“What?” 

“ _Join_ me!” Jack held his arms out as if he were pitching his ideas to a board of rival executives. 

“Again, what?” 

“I’m a crossroads demon, right? You can become one too! Cupcake, you can make a deal with me, and your soul would be immediately sold. No ‘365 years of torture’. Just two amazing crossroads demons who can take over Hell in no time.” Jack got down on one knee in the dirt, eyes gleaming with ambition. 

“Are you… proposing to me?” 

“Well, no ring this time, but technically?” 

“No actually…” Jack physically deflated, missing Rhys’s mischievous smile. The young man reached behind his neck, undid the clasp of the chain and held the ring out in front of him. Rhys knelt down, somewhat awkwardly, and pulled Jack’s head up from it’s forlorn position. “Try again.” 

“Rhys, the love of my life, the man who has the most amazing ass in the whole world, will you make the best decision in your life and become my husband so we can conquer hell?” 

“Yes, you idiot!” Rhys reached to grab Jack’s face and pull him into a kiss but the older man pulled away and pushed a contract under the nose of the younger. 

“I’m sorry but you need to sign this before we do the whole kissing thing. Hell still requires paperwork y’know.”

Rhys had never signed a piece of paper so fast in his life. “Now just kiss me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right so it's over! Thoughts, feelings? Lemme know if you guys want more from this universe over on therhackoning.tumblr.com (i changed my url to represent my trash) 
> 
> p.s. this is the ring http://www.danielprince.co.uk/images/yellow-diamond-rings/yellow-diamond-3stone.jpg

**Author's Note:**

> OH BOY THIS WHOLE FIC IS A ME GETTING MY FEELINGS OUT FIC
> 
> come cry with me on tumblr: http://iwritesjinsnottragedies.tumblr.com/


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